During processing of a substrate in for example, microelectronic device fabrication, the substrate may be transferred to multiple chambers to perform various processes. The substrate is in a vacuum during processing and at atmospheric pressure during transfer. Oxidation forms on the substrates upon leaving the vacuum environment and returning to atmospheric pressure. As such, the substrate undergoes a degas and/or preclean procedure to remove any oxidation prior to any further processing, resulting in processing delays.
Therefore, the inventors have provided improved methods and apparatus for substrate transfer.